Emiquon Area Interpretive Signs - Lewistown, IL - Outdoor Interactive Science Displays on Waymarking.com

Near Lewistown, within the Emiquon Nature Preserve, is a nature interpretive area with panels that people can move together or apart to compare how the landscape has changed.

Emiquon Nature Preserve is located on the north side of the Illinois River, off Illinois Route 78. It is a few miles south of US 24.

The display is under a shelter that has other nature and historical signs of this area. The fixed panel on the left has a painted map showing mostly green and blue areas but with light yellow areas, representing wooded areas farm area and water. This panel shows the restored Lake Thompson. The panel on the right, movable, shows larger water and yellow areas. These show the time when much of the land was drained and made into farmland. If you move the right panel over the left (in geography or Geographic Information System (GIS) terms, each of the panels is a 'layer' of data and the method of displaying the layers over one another geographically is called 'overlaying.'), you can then compare features and tell which areas transformed from one type of use to another.

Other signs in this oversized kiosk tell more of the story and has a map of the trails and lookouts.

There are several organizations involved at this site. The sign at the location where the panels are says The Nature Conservancy, but the web site has lapsed. Wikipedia states that the land is now a U.S. National Wildlife Preserve and that the Emiquon Project (what is that?) is operated by the Nature Conservancy as a partner. Also, the University of Illinios has opened a field station here.

Source:

Wikipedia:
(Emiquon National Wildlife Preserve):
(visit link)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Emiquon):
(visit link)

Scientific Principle(s) being demonstrated: environmental science methods to restore landscapes to their original natural state, geographical overlay techniques to compare 'before' and 'after' images. Briefly explain if the experiment was effective for you. Could it have been better?: It was informative as I had not seen this landscape before. When is the apparatus/experiment available to the public: Daylight hours.

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